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The South Coast is rich in culture, history and diversity. And rich in art!
Since 1996, the New Bedford Art Museum has been a fixture in downtown New Bedford, offering engaging exhibitions of artwork from around the corner and across the ocean.
Linger, learn and appreciate art and artistic expression as you stroll through the Museum's main Skylight Gallery. Discover new delights as you explore the Museum's home, a former bank that includes two vintage vaults, one with a distinctive circular safe door.
The Museum strives to offer dynamic and interactive educational opportunities. Museum education programs reach out to the community through its distinctive ArtMobile summer program as well as creative arts education and lectures for adults and children.
Museum exhibits change three times each year and vary in subject matter and artistic medium. Contemporary and historic art, as well as local, national and international artists, have been displayed.
Come get a taste of New Bedford's artistic culture.
NBAM was formed in 1994 and incorporated in 1996. Located in the historic downtown district of the City of New Bedford, the Museum is housed in the renovated Anthony J. Catojo, Jr. Building, formerly a bank.
NBAM is an educational private non-profit (501 (c) 3) organization, which carries out its mission through two major areas of activity: mounting exhibits and conducting education programs.
Exhibits:
NBAM is a non-collections-holding institution. Exhibited art and objects are culled from a variety of sources, including artist's collections, private collectors and cultural institutions. This strengthens NBAM's ongoing collaborative relationships, and often serves to bring art and objects into view that may not otherwise be available to our public.
NBAM is comprised of five galleries; the first level includes the Skylight Gallery, Heritage Gallery and the Upper Vault. On the lower level are the Community Gallery, and the Lower Vault with its distinctive circular safe door. We have three exhibition periods per year and can display from one to five exhibits per period.
NBAM is dedicated to presenting a wide array of art and objects, supported by an equally broad array of programming to appeal to the largest possible audience. Contemporary art, cultural art objects, and historic art are exhibited and include the art of local, national and international artists. Providing a balance of these exhibition categories accomplishes three goals:
- Reflect the plurality of interests in the SouthCoast region.
- Appeal to a wide potential audience.
- Challenge, expand, and educate viewers' perceptual scope.
Educational Programs:
The Museum offers dynamic and interactive educational opportunities to a wide variety of patrons. Education programs include:
- artMOBILE. Considered a cornerstone of NBAM's program and mission, this unique youth program offers free arts programming to youth in their neighborhoods. The distinctive "Purple Bus" and "Purple Mini-Van" bring art supplies and museum educators to twenty community sites a week during each summer.
- "Invest In Kids." After-School Program. Conducted at the Museum, the after-school program is part of the City of New Bedford's grant series, and offers regular activities to a youth population, filling a critical need during a high crime time (3-5pm). Current exhibits at NBAM provide the theme for the after-school art activities. Youth participating have come to refer the program as "Art Club."
- Lectures. "Artist's Talks" and "Curator's Talks" are usual compliments to NBAM exhibitions. They are designed to provide enhanced experiences by encouraging in depth explorations of the themes of artwork, as well as the mediums and techniques used to create the art.
Kate Ross
Executive Director
Kate brings to the New Bedford Art Museum, a variety of work experience that includes business development, marketing, fundraising, community outreach and social media. Prior to joining the New Bedford Art Museum, Kate had been running a small pet products company, Tartan Hound. Kate started Tartan Hound in 2003, where she grew it to being carried in stores across the US, Japan and UK – handling all facets of the business that include product design, sourcing and manufacturing, branding, website development, marketing, distribution and business operations.
Prior to starting her own business, Kate served as a marketing manager for the Buffalo Bills NFL team. She served in a key role at the Bills, spearheading the $11 million sales campaign to trigger the $62.5 million funding from New York State to renovate the stadium, ensuring that the team remained in Western New York for years to come. Her role also included serving as the liaison to the governor’s office, business community and ownership, and representing the team throughout the community.
Though Kate has found herself working in the business world, her true love and education has been in the arts. Kate graduated from SUNY at Buffalo with a BA in Art History and has always enjoyed creating art of her own. With her strong emphasis on the importance of community, she was able to both enjoy her love of art and support different cultural organizations through her volunteer work.
Kate was appointed to the Cultural Advisory Board in Buffalo NY, where she was the youngest to ever serve in that prestigious position. Her role as a board member was to assist in financial and operational audits of the various cultural organizations seeking public funding and to make funding recommendations. Kate also served on the boards of the Frank Lloyd Wright Graycliff Conservancy, and the Erie County SPCA.
Phoebe Perry
Director of Development
Phoebe Perry brings extensive experience working in development for non-profit organizations, including museums, educational institutions and religious organizations, to her role as development director for NBAM.
Phoebe was involved with The Katonah Museum of Art in Katonah, New York from 1978, when it was The Katonah Gallery in the basement of The Katonah Library, through 2005. The Katonah Museum is now a highly respected Art Museum.
Phoebe became involved with NBAM in May of '07 as a Trustee, Chair of the Development Committee, and eventually Vice-President of the Board of Trustees. After a brief hiatus, she came back to help build to lead development activities at NBAM.
She received her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College majoring in Art History and Studio Arts after transferring from The University of Chicago where she spent her first two years of college as an English/Studio Arts major. Phoebe also enjoys painting and has a passion for the arts.
Melissa Hoefel
Administrative & Membership Director
Melissa first began working for the New Bedford Art Museum in 2005 as a volunteer on the Festival of Trees Committee. In 2007 she joined the staff as Administrative and Membership Director. Melissa is responsible for managing membership services, works closely with the development director on all fundraising efforts, and assists the director with the many activities involved with running the museum.
Melissa lives in Dartmouth, and has two daughters who love to spend time at the museum in the art education room and attending events. Prior to moving to Massachusetts in 2004, Melissa was a municipal finance banker at Wachovia Bank in Charlotte, North Carolina. Melissa received a BS from the University of New Hampshire in Hotel Administration.
Photo: Michelle Carr Photography
Joan Backes
Curator, The Vault Series
Joan Backes is Curator of The Vault Series, which she originated for the Museum in 1997. She has served on the Museum's Education Committee and continues to serve on the Museum's Exhibitions Committee.
Backes received her MFA from Northwestern University. She has taught at The Kansas City Art Institute, Northwestern University, Brown University and The Maine College of Art Graduate Program among others. She has exhibited her own work as a painter and installation artist extensively internationally, and her work is included in museum, public and private collections nationally and internationally.
Backes has received numerous honors and awards including, in part, Senior Fulbright Scholar Award; National Endowment Awards; American-Scandinavian Fellowship, and Fulbright Hays Award. She was Chair of the Distinguished Teaching of Art Award Selections Committee for the College Art Association and also served on the CAA International Committee. She served on the Selections Committee for Senior Fulbright Scholars in Washington, D.C. She has been Visiting Artist and Critic at numerous art schools and universities internationally and has been juror of many exhibitions. Backes has organized exhibitions in Wisconsin and Illinois and has worked at Frumkin Struve Gallery in Chicago.
Backes' Vault Series Exhibitions have included the work of artists from New England to California as well as the work of international artists. Group shows have covered subjects such as "Water," "Black and White," "Unique Prints," etc. At times The Vault Series has focused on the work of a single artist, such as Ed Paschke. The Vault Series has received critical attention in The Boston Globe and Art New England, as well as The Standard-Times.
Seth Rainville
Curator
Exhibition Committee Chair:
Adrian Tio, Dartmouth, Mass.
Exhibition Committee Co-Chairs:
Jane Duff Gleason
John Deknatel
Education Committee Chair:
Kathryn V. Dinneen
Officers
President
Michael Jolliffe - Mattapoisett, Mass.
Vice President
Marilyn Whalley - Marion, Mass.
Clerk
Linda Solomon, Marion, Mass.
Treasurer
Michelle Sparks - South Dartmouth, Mass.
Ex-Officio
Kate Ross, Marion MA
John Deknatel, Brookline, Mass,
Kathryn V. Dinneen - Mattapoisett, Mass.
Jane Gleason - Wareham, Mass.
Katie Hauswirth - New Bedford, Mass.
Lee Heald - Mattapoisett, Mass.
Sandra Hewitt - Mattapoisett, Mass.
Linda Solomon - Marion, Mass.
David G. Sullivan - New Bedford, Mass.
Cecelia Porché - New Bedford, Mass.
Allan Ditchfield - President
Patricia Arnold
David A. Barrett
Christina M. Bascom
Joanna M. Bennett
Sandra Bilodeau
David & Pat Considine
Douglas & Cindy Crocker
David & Victoria Croll
Peter DeWalt
Annette Ewing
Peter & Laurie Grauer
William T. Kennedy
Bob & Mona Ketcham
Mary Kauppila
Betty K. Knowles
Clinton Levin
J. Greer & Elizabeth McBratney
Renia Platt
Jim Rattray
Genie Rice
Louise Rogers
Gale Runnells
Sue Siegal
Joan Underwood
Anne V. V. Webb
Neal Weiss
Bill & Jean Whelan |
